The first terrain division occurred around 1500, when the court of D. Manuel I moved from the castle to the royal palace in Terreiro do Paço. The need for housing led the king to force farmers to resign their lands. Nowadays, it functions as a residential, shopping and entertainment district. Bairro Alto is one of the oldest districts in Lisbon. Dozens of fado singing clubs animate the area. All major Portuguese newspapers once had their offices in here. Prostitution was visible and considerable.
Since the 1990s, Bairro Alto went through major changes. Lisbon’s city council made extensive repairs, and dozens of new restaurants, clubs and trendy shops were opened. Many young people moved into the area. Cars were banned (except for residents and emergency vehicles). Today, Bairro Alto (or just Bairro) is the heart of Lisbon’s youth culture and nightlife. Lisbon’s artists, alternative, punk, gay, heavy metal music, goth, hip hop and reggae scenes all have the Bairro as their home, due to the number of clubs and bars dedicated to each of them. During daytime, the Bairro is a traditional district where older people shop for groceries, and the younger generations visit art galleries like Zé dos Bois, bookshops or arty gift shops like Hold Me.
Despite the heavy police presence, illegal drugs are sold in the streets. In 1995, a group of far-right skinheads attacked and killed Alcino Monteiro, a Portuguese citizen of African origin. This zone struggles with a problem of vandalism, with graffiti destroying historical buildings, such as the place of death of Fernando Pessoa and Almada Negreiros.
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